Homemade Herbal Allergy Glycerite

My son suffered from seasonal allergies when we lived in Louisiana.  With all the oaks and flowers blooming in spring, even our cars were sometimes colored yellow from all the pollen in the air!  It was also hard for him because the humidity was always high, even in the spring, making it harder to breathe and pretty much unbearable to spend a lot of time outside...  That was the situation that spurred my interest in herbal remedies :)

10 years later... I am still concocting herbal remedies for my family!  As David Christopher, Master Herbalist and director of the School of Natural Healing, put it so simply:

 "There are no commercially sold herbs as dangerous as the safest drug. "

I want the best health for my family and refuse to give them synthetic drugs, unless necessary.  That includes over-the-counter allergy meds.  So, I'm going to share with you my very effective "Allergy formula".  It has no lengthy list of side-effects (none, actually), and works like a charm!

The Herbs:

I am using three herbs in this formula... first, the superstar herb, fenugreek.  It is used in many herbal formulas for lung healing.  It expels mucus and phlegm from the bronchial tubes and soothes sore throats. 

Next up, the side-kick herbs nettle and peppermint.  Nettle is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, silicon, potassium, and protein.  One of its uses has been in formulas for illnesses concerning the lungs. Peppermint I added for flavor, since herbs are not known for tasting good :)  Peppermint also promotes relaxation and aids in digestion and headache relief.

What you need for your homemade allergy glycerite:

canning jar
crock pot (big enough to hold the canning jar)
wash rag
food grade glycerine
herbs:  1 part Fenugreek, 1/2 part nettle, 1/2 part peppermint 

Directions:  

(If you are making a quart jar's-worth of this extract, use 1 cup as your "part" measurement.)

• Mix herbs and place them in a clean canning jar. (fill jar about to about 1/2 full)
• Pour a small amount of hot water over the herbs to wet them.  Let it sit 5 minutes.
• Fill the canning jar to within 1" of top with glycerine.  Cap tightly.
• Put the canning jar into your crock pot on a folded rag (to prevent jar from breaking) and fill crock pot with water, up to just below the lid on the canning jar.
• Set your crock pot on the low or warm setting.  We are not cooking the herbs, just heating them to quicken the extraction process.
• Let the jar sit in your crock pot for three full days.  Shake the jar at least once a day to circulate the herbs and refill the crock pot with water if it gets too low (the jar should be covered up to just below the lid).  If the herbs settle when the glycerine is fully heated, just top off the extract with glycerine.
• After the 3 day extraction period, filter your glycerite through a cloth and bottle the liquid. Make sure you label and date the bottles.  This extract is good for 1 year.

Dosage: 1 dropper-full, 3 times a day on an empty stomach.  You can use up to 1 t, three times a day for adults.  If you find the taste isn't pleasant, you can mix this with juice.

Treat your seasonal allergies with herbs this year and see how much better you feel! And, Enjoy a symptom-free allergy season :) 



You can also use this formula to make an alcohol tincture.  Just follow these directions.
Using alcohol will lengthen the shelf life to 2 years, but it is not recommended as a children's allergy remedy.